Amidst safety concerns, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) stated on Wednesday that it had suspended Dana Airlines’ Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with immediate effect.
The mandate is included in a letter signed and sealed in Abuja by Chris Najomo, the acting director general of the NCAA.
It stated that the airline’s “elevated safety concerns” were the basis for the action.
“As a precautionary step, and in accordance with Sec 31 (7) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Authority has imposed a suspension on your Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with effect from 24″ April, 2024 at 23:59 to allow for a thorough safety and economic audit,” the letter partly read.
Less than 48 hours had passed since a Dana Air aircraft (MD82, registration number 5SN-BKI) encountered a runway incursion on Tuesday while arriving at the domestic terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos from Abuja. At that point, the airline was suspended.
The airline reports that every one of the 83 occupants of the aircraft, including the crew, was safely evacuated.
“We are relieved to confirm that all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or fear as the crew handled the situation with utmost professionalism,” the airline said, adding that the country’s investigation Bureau and NCAA have been properly briefed about the incident.
Meanwhile, the NCAA has suspended the airline’s AOC for safety infractions twice in the last two years.
The airline was forced to cease operations in 2022 when the regulatory body’s financial and economic health audit revealed unfavourable results.
Dana Airlines was no longer able to fulfil its financial responsibilities and carry out safe flight operations, according to the NCAA at the time. This was the conclusion of an examination into the airline’s flying operations.
The NCAA said in its initial statement following the runway incursion incident on Tuesday that the Nigerian Safety inquiry Bureau (NSIB) has started its inquiry in compliance with legal processes.
The authority declared on Wednesday that it was awaiting the preliminary report of the NSIB probe.
“While the NSIB is conducting the safety investigation, the NCAA has initiated an in-house compliance assessment of this occurrence taking into account previous occurrences involving DANA Air aircraft. This is in a bid to establish any trend which must be nipped in the bud in the interest of the safety and well-being of our citizens and travellers, ” the NCAA said.
“Furthermore, the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development in sharing the concerns of the Authority has thrown his weight behind the need for swift measures to be taken to address pertinent safety and economic issues that may underpin some of these occurrences.
“The safety audit will entail a re-inspection of your organisation, procedures, personnel, and aircraft as specified by Part 1.3.3.3 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, while the economic audit will critically examine the financial health of your airline to guarantee its capability to sustain safe flight operations” it concluded.
